If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

Bearding Bees gone this AM. Here's what I did:1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg
My bars are tight. They are numbered to 29 with a spacer bar for each end. They have built out to exactly the middle - they are on bar 16 now.4.jpg
And the bee activity from Friday afternoon to this AM (Monday AM)5.jpg
And I knew those wine corks would come in handy one day - I have wine corks for all 3 holes ready to plug.

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

Originally Posted by sab

Bearding Bees gone this AM. Here's what I did:1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg
My bars are tight. They are numbered to 29 with a spacer bar for each end. They have built out to exactly the middle - they are on bar 16 now.4.jpg
And the bee activity from Friday afternoon to this AM (Monday AM)5.jpg
And I knew those wine corks would come in handy one day - I have wine corks for all 3 holes ready to plug.

That will work! , the thing I don't like about that design of TBH and you will soon find out, is when the top bars fit tight up against end boards they swell, and at some point will no longer fit. That is why I just lay a flat sheet of plywood on top, my box is flush all the way around and the bars sit on top, not down in, on one of them between swelling and propolis buildup I have lost one whole bar that will no longer fit on it.

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

4:30 and 93 degrees ("feels like" 98 temp) and the sun is bright - went to check the hive. There's a 2 inch long by about 1/2 inch thread of bees starting to hang.... nothing like yesterday.... so far lookin' good! Thanks every one!!!

Now I have a ? about feeding but I'll start a new thread for that one.

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

The first day of the high heat/humidity here (was Sunday), our tbh's bearded a bit. Yesterday, in even higher humidity, the hives totally bearded - just like you describe, it looked like a comb being built outside the hive! The bees even were bearding out the BACK end of the hive (I have front entrances)! The bees were bearding on the edges of the bars, around the top cover....wherever they could find a spot to hang on for the night! I swear the whole hive was outside to sleep under the stars! (Didn't get a chance to see if it was workers or drones outside....was too dark to distinguish from a distance).

By morning, the bearding was down to just a couple dozen bees.

Let's see what tonight brings, as the humidity is just as high. The sun just as strong all day - even though the hives are in the shade from 11am onward. The temps were just as high as yesterday.

Can't wait for the heat to break....at least the humidity! This beekeeper cannot take it!

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

I had been following this thread and got to wondering if the heat was too high in one of my hives. They beard like crazy as well. It has a great roof, when I lift the lid and put my hand under it it seems cooler than the ambient temp. Then I got to thinking about the attic in a house and how it is hotter than blue blazes and got to thinking maybe it should be hotter in there. So I whipped up a vent to let the hot air in the hive escape to the top. basically it is two sticks about 3/8s of an inch in diameter, just some scrap that was laying around, then I put spacers on both ends to separate them about 3/4 or an inch. Stapled some #8 hardware cloth on them and put it in place of a top bar. No beard when I got home, but a shower had come through and cooled off the place. I'll check tomorrow to see if they beard up. I figured if they don't like it they will propolize it closed.

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

Yesterday was a scorcher and so, sure enough, those bees were out in a really REALLY big beard. They were very calm - just hanging. Most not even moving their wings. I don't feel warm air coming out the holes I drilled. So I guess I'm back to square 1 except I'm armed with the knowledge that this isn't a swarm action. At least not yet.....

Re: Newbie needing help - overheating

sab, what your bees are doing is called "bearding" and is very normal on hot days. I wish I could show you a photo of our bees bearding but I don't know how to post photos. We are in western Colorado where temps have been in the 90's, occ into 3 digits. On hot afternoons the entire end of one of our TBHs is covered with a very thick mass of bees. Looks like a swarm but it's not. They often hang out there until after dark when it cools off. No worries about the bearding but do be very careful not to handle combs at all when the temp is very hot--the wax gets incredibly soft and will fall off easily if moved (don't ask how I know this). So to answer your last question, unless the bees are clearly not well, it is best not to disturb them at all (top bar hives that is) in the summer heat. ...my opinion anyway.